Sentence structures

KARACHI: Pakistan’s young artists are markedly different from their seniors in one respect: they’re pushing boundaries without giving a hoot about ‘boundaries’.

This is easy to understand. In the past, if artists pushed the envelope, they knew what they were trying to accomplish consciously. The young artists of today perhaps lack a bit of direction where the charm of their ‘uninhibited work’ lies.

‘Various Sentences’, a group show of more than a dozen painters and sculptors, all of whom are graduates of Karachi University’s Visual Studies Department, is a cogent example of how our young creative minds are looking at contemporary issues.

Raheela Abro turns ‘Kaddu’ (oil on pixy and etching on mirror) into something that doesn’t have the auditory resonance of the word ‘kaddu’. Lessening the effect of ‘what it sounds like’ and giving it a new meaning with ‘what it looks like’ is quite interesting.

Adnan Mairaj merges philosophical notions of construction and deconstruction with material concepts of currency and buildings. His effort is ‘note’-worthy, no pun intended.

Wajid Ali creates a network (colour pen and vinyl on paper) that can be interpreted both in terms of the link between members of the community he belongs to as well as their individualistic distinctions, if not differences, as part of the society they live in.

Sajjal Kayani stands out with ‘Letter from Past’ (water colour, ink and tea wash). It’s a literary effort with strong visual content. The story is of disconnect among members of a family and yet there’s no sense of alienation because of the filial bond.

Uzma Noor’s take on the labyrinth of existence in ‘In’ and ‘Out’ (lino cut print) is eye-catching primarily because of the craft and skill of the artist, while Abdullah Qamer’s ‘Bullet Train’ (iron) is a poignant reminder of the 21st century violent Pakistan.